General Info

This is One Thick-Skinned Virus

The Rhinovirus accounts for up to 80% of cases of the common cold (1). Rhinoviruses are small, nonenveloped, positive stranded RNA viruses that are part of the Picornaviridae family. Out of the people exposed to the Rhinovirus, 70-80% of them develop the common cold or a related sickness (1). The primary route of entry for human rhinoviruses is the upper respiratory tract. Infection occurs quickly, with the virus adhering to surface receptors within minutes of entering the respiratory tract. Elderly individuals and younger children, whos immune systems are reletively weak, more often become affected by the Rhinovirus (and are great reservoirs). There are nearly 22 million school days missed annually due to the common cold, and about 62 million cases occur every year. ICAM-1 is the protein that most Rhinoviruses bind to directly (2). Infected cells release interleukin-8 (IL-8), and the concentration of IL-8 is directly proportional to the illness severity. As a result, vasodilatation, increased vascular permeability, and exocrine gland secretion occur. These lead to the symptoms of the common cold (1).Background Picture - Compound III bound to serotype 2 human rhinovirus 3C protease. Courtesy of PNAS
Signs and Symptoms

What to Look For

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The symptoms of a Rhinovirus infection are well known. They include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and a sore throat. Mucus build up and headaches can also occur. The characteristic symptoms occur from one to four days after infection, as this is when the titer is the highest (1). The symptoms experienced last for around a week, but can sometimes last longer. A lot depends on the number of Rhinovirus particles that are present in the body. The more there are, the sicker the patient will be. Although the lower respiratory tract is usually not affected, bronchopneumonia can occur in Rhinovirus infections, particularly in children (2).

Image couresty of the CDC (00:03)

Laboratory Testing

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Laboratory testing is not required to diagnose the common cold, caused by the rhinovirus. The signs and symptoms are obvious and can be physically seen. A PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) assay has been made that can screen for the different strains of rhinovirus in nasal washings (4). There is also no reason to perform imaging on patients. These nonlaboratory imaging tests aren't needed in order to detect a sore throat or other symptoms, and are cost ineffective.

Image courtesy of HealthNOW

Treatment and Prevention
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Treatment

There are a few simple and easy ways to treat the common cold, which is caused by the rhinovirus.- Drink a lot of fluids- Sleep and rest- Humidify the rooms where you spend time- Do not swallow mucus, blow your nose- Use nasal sprays, such as Afrin ®

Image couresy of WebMD (5/20)

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Prevention

Normal hygene can play a major role in prevention of the common cold, and there is currently no vaccine. The most important way to prevent this virus from spreading is to simply wash your hands. After hand washing, stay away from sick individuals and keep a healthy diet. It is good to use hand disinfectants, but that may not be sufficient (3). WASH YOUR HANDS as often as possible to be certain of prevention.

Image courtesy of the CDC

References

Material Referances:

(1) Rajnik, M. (2011). Rhinoviruses. Medscape, Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/227820-overview

(2) Hunt, R. (2010, April 12). Virology - chapter ten: Picornaviruses - part two. Retrieved from http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/virol/rhino.htm

(3) Goodman, A. (2010). Hand disinfection may not prevent rhinovirus, influenza virus transmission. Medscape, Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/728650

(4) Hayden, F., & Arruda, E. (1993, Oct 7). Detection of human rhinovirus rna in nasal washings by pcr. PubMed, Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Photo References:Background - http://www.pnas.org/content/96/20/11000/F3.expansion.htmlSneezing Girl - http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/SnortSniffleSneeze/Lab Workers - http://www.healthnowmedical.com/blog/2011/05/09/gluten-intolerance-celiac-inaccurate-lab-tests/Sleeping Woman - http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-benefits-10/slideshow-sleep-tips (Slide 5/20)Washing Hands - http://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/
Rhinovirus

General Info

Signs and Symptoms

Laboratory Testing

Treatment and Prevention

References

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